Categories: Auto Shows

The Toyota Avalon isn't exactly the type of car that people get excited about, but the newest version is a marked enough departure to cause a small stir. The Toyota sedan gets a much updated look that practically begs for a new model name.

As we saw from the teaser picture, Toyota wasn't just looking for a slight evolution, it was looking to change the Avalon's image. The 2012 Avalon is a sedan that could get lost - even in Toyota's line of quality but forgettable sedan designs. But the 2013 Avalon is enough to have people asking: 'What's that car'.

The 2012 New York Auto Show had a few big SUV debuts, one of which was the all-new Chevy Traverse. Chevy unveiled the 2013 model just before the show got underway last week.

Chevy describes the exterior design as new and athletic, though we're not sure we're seeing much more athleticism. The front-end gets updated with a "powerdome" hood and a new grille. Chevy keeps the same general shape and two-part design of the grille, but uses slats in place of the mesh on the current Traverse. The headlamps also get a new shape and look. On the flip side, the 2013 Traverse gets a new set of taillamps and a new liftgate. Overall it's a subtle but discernible redesign in terms of styling.

As we heard last year, Land Rover is planning on bringing the Defender back to the US market. As such, it's not that surprising that the SUV-maker brought an updated version of the DC100 concept to the New York Auto Show. The model is an Expedition version of the Defender-previewing concept.

Land Rover has previously stated that the new Defender has global ambitions. It will be positioned at third world and first world markets alike. So far, the company's concept schedule (if not the concept itself) has reflected such ambitions. We saw the first DC100 in Frankfurt last year, updated versions in LA and New Delhi, and now an Expedition version in New York.

Infiniti introduced the LE concept at this week's New York Auto Show. The company plans to bring the car to market as its first fully electric car.

After toying with green concepts like the Essence and Emerg-E, Infiniti finally has a winner. It said that it plans to get the LE electric to market within the next two years. The model promises to bring a little normality - sexiness even - to a segment defined by small, awkward hatchbacks.

We've sifted through rumor after rumor for years. We've seen a name change and logo update. We've analyzed spy shots and legitimate teaser photos. We've tried to reconcile conflicting reports. And it's all led up to this. It was worth the wait.

We speak, of course, of the 2013 Viper, one of the most anticipated car debuts of 2012. The last-generation Viper drove into the sunset in 2010, leaving nothing but rumors in its wake.

From New York to Paris: Mazda announced that it will introduce the 2014 Mazda6 at the Paris Motor Show this fall. The new model will hit the market in the first quarter of next year.

We've already seen plenty of the Mazda6 by way of the Takeri concept. In New York this week, Mazda confirmed what everyone that follows these things already knew: The Takeri is a strong indication as to what the next Mazda6 will look like. Color us satisfied, because the Takeri is a very stylish car and a very fitting update for its mid-sized sedan.

The Takeri concept was debuted at last year's Tokyo Motor Show and made it across the Pacific for this week's New York Auto Show. The concept is the first to feature the new Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine, and also has other Skyactiv technologies like i-start and i-ELOOP.

We’ve waited, and waited, but finally Lincoln’s latest Ford Fusion luxury spinoff has debuted as something entirely more sophisticated. The 2013 Lincoln MKZ takes on a long list of impressive new features, as well as styling which pays homage to elegance for the sake of…well…elegance.

In previous generations of Lincolns, we couldn’t help feeling like the company attempted to gussie up old pigs with new lipstick – taking less expensive cars and adding chrome, plus other doodads, to rev up pricing. But the 2013 MKZ is different.

This is a vehicle which could re-define Lincoln as a brand, standing separate and above Ford.

The Nissan Altima may not be the glitziest debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show, but it's one of the cars surest to make the most people happy. The car loses weight, gains fuel economy and keeps price relatively low.

The 2013 Altima isn't just aiming to keep in its class, it's aiming to define the class. Nissan anticipates that the mid-sized sedan will lead its hot-selling class in several parameters, including weight and fuel economy.

While it may take some time to actually get it to market, Fisker revealed a design prototype of its next car - the small sedan built under the Project Nina umbrella. Called the Atlantic, the sedan is every bit as sporty and aggressive as the Karma. There's not much not to like about the new, sporty plug-in.

Henrik Fisker may not have proven himself particularly adept at running a start-up, but the man can flat out design a car. The Atlantic will play second fiddle to the Karma in terms of package and pricing, but it looks every bit as stylish and upscale as its big brother. Fisker essentially whittles the Karma's sexy look into a smaller package while adding some new elements.

Diesels may not always translate so well from foreign languages to American English, but that isn't stopping Mazda from showing off the diesel Takeri concept at the New York Auto Show. The concept is equipped with Mazda's new SkyActiv-D engine.

Mazda debuted the Takeri concept at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, and the New York show represents its North American debut. Mazda says that it is the first concept to use the new Skyactiv-D clean turbodiesel.

Hyundai likes to show up big for the New York Auto Show. The Korean automaker has a history of bringing a big model or concept debut to the show, and this year is no different. It will premiere the all-new 2013 Santa Fe at the show, and it's given us a glimpse a little early.

Hyundai released pictures of the Santa Fe on its blog Hyundai Like Sunday. Interestingly, the blog post spends as much time talking about competitor debuts like the Dodge SRT and Buick Enclave as it does about the Santa Fe. All it says is that the new version of the crossover will "break new ground just like the first generation did" - the kind of line that every automaker likes to give about every one of its new debuts.